Device for carrying garment bag

ABSTRACT

A garment bag holder for supporting a garment bag which includes a support member formed of a plate of structural material dimensioned to extend vertically from the palm to the armpit of the user. The support member has an integral hand grip at its lower end rounded to provide a comfortable fit in the closed palm and having a width dimension of approximately palm width. The upper end of the supporting member is formed to provide a comfortable fit in the armpit. A hook receiver at the upper end of the supporting member receives the hook, or hooks, at the top of the garment bag so that the bag with its contents, when suspended on the supporting member, is clamped between the supporting member and the body of the user, the resulting friction against the wall of the garment bag tending to avoid any tendency for the supporting member to topple either forwardly or rearwardly from its position under the arm of the user.

Garment bags made of flexible material, for example, nylon or otherdurable fabric, must usually be carried by a traveler because of thereluctance of airlines to include such bags in their checking service.Observation of travelers at any airport or train station reveals thatgarment bags are carried in one of three ways, folded in half over thearm, suspended from the hook, or hooks, at the upper end or slung overthe back.

The first mode of carrying, particularly during warm weather, wrinklesboth the sleeve and the enclosed garments. Simply holding the bag fromthe hook or hooks at the upper end is extremely tiring and often resultsin the lower end of the bag being dragged along the floor. Slinging thegarment bag over one's back is uncomfortable and awkward particularlywhen one has to carry other baggage as well.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide agarment bag holder in which the garment bag is supported vertically withthe weight borne at arm's length and which avoids any risk of draggingthe bag on the floor.

It is another object to provide a garment bag holder in which all of thegarments in the bag remain suspended at full length during transportfree of bending or crushing and in which the sleeve of the user isunencumbered and constantly ventilated so as to avoid wrinklesespecially in hot, humid weather.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a garment bagholder which enables carrying a garment bag, even when heavily loaded,with other baggage in a natural and dignified way and without the usualfatigue.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a garment bagholder in which the garment bag is supported from below but which isnevertheless inherently secure and free of any tendency toward topplingeither forwardly or backwardly as the bag is carried.

It is an object of the invention in one of its aspects to provide agarment bag holder which includes a simple and novel provision forcarrying a briefcase or light valise comfortably and simultaneously inthe same hand which supports the bag.

It is also an object of the invention in one of its aspects to provide agarment bag holder which not only permits easy and convenient transportof the bag but which has provision for hanging the bag or its contentsfrom the upper edge of a closet door or the like upon reaching the hotelor other destination.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponreading the attached detailed description and upon reference to thedrawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a garment bag and holder incarrying position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the holder per se.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the simultaneous carrying of abriefcase.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross section taken through the lower portion ofthe holder with the handle of the briefcase in nested position.

FIG. 5 shows a garment bag holder suspended from the upper edge of acloset door or the like.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view showing optional provision for lengthadjustment.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferredembodiment, it will be understood that I do not intend to limit theinvention to the particular embodiment shown but intend, on thecontrary, to cover the various alternative and equivalent constructionsincluded within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Turning now to the drawing there is disclosed a garment bag holder 10constructed in accordance with the invention including a body or supportmember 11 in the form of a flat plate of light weight structuralmaterial, for example, thermoplastic plexiglass. The member isdimensioned to extend vertically from the palm to the armpit of theuser, as shown, with the arm in substantially straight condition. Thesupport member has an integral hand grip 12 at its lower end in theplane of the member with a width dimension corresponding approximatelyto palm width. The hand grip is preferably integrally formed by arounded, upward curl 13 of the base material so as to provide acomfortable fit in the closed palm. For maximum comfort the hand grip ispreferably a continuation of the smooth outer surface 14 of the supportmember, lying in or closely adjacent to the plane of the latter.

At its upper end 15 the member is formed with a downward curl 16 to forma relatively thin rounded upper edge 17 to provide a comfortable fit inthe armpit. Bridging the gap between the curl 16 and the body 11 of themember is a hook receiver 20 formed by a spool 21 which is penetrated bya screw or rivet 22. The hook receiver 20 is mounted in a laterally moreor less centered position spaced slightly downwardly from the upper edge17 of the device for receiving the hook, or hooks, 24 of the garment bagindicated, at 25, by the dot-dash outline. Frequently a garment bag willhave not only a single hook but will be made up of a plurality of thehooks on a set of hangers which are enclosed side by side in the upperportion of the bag. The disclosed hook receiver 20, with its overlyingcurl 16 shields the user and his jacket against a cluster of hookspresenting points which may be angled in a number of differentdirections.

When the garment bag is carried as illustrated in FIG. 1, with the hookreceiver turned inwardly, facing the body of the user, the garment bagis effectively clamped between the supporting member and the body of theuser, developing sufficient friction so as to inhibit any tendency forthe supporting member to topple either forwardly or rearwardly. Thus theonly force which need be intentionally applied is the force which isexerted straight up in supporting the weight of the bag and no energyneed be expended to keep the bag hanging straight in its transportposition. Thus the bag, even when heavily loaded, may be carried forlong distances with little effort, that is, no more effort than would beused to carry a small valise of similar weight. Nor need any care beexercised to keep the lower end of the bag free from the floor or groundsurface, even where the user is a person of relatively short stature.The holding and carrying of the garment bag, usually an awkward andtiring chore, is made more pleasant amd more comfortable by exercise ofthe present invention.

While the form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 2 suffices forcarrying of the garment bag by itself, it is one of the objects of theinvention, in one of its aspects, to provide for the simultaneouscarrying of a briefcase or light valise by the same hand which supportsthe bag. This is accomplished as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 by makingthe curl, here indicated 13a, of sufficiently large radius toaccommodate, in the groove formed within it, the handle H of thebriefcase or traveling bag. By making the hand grip i.e., the curl, ofapproximately palm width, the lower end of the handle may be easilyinserted into carrying position. This leaves the opposite hand free tocarry, in balanced position, a second, or larger, bag.

It is one of the aspects of the present invention to provide, at theupper end of the supporting member, a hook of square configurationintended for slipping over the upper edge of a closet door, the hookbeing connected to the supporting member in a position vertically alinedwith the hook receiver by a short length of flexible connector enablingthe hook, during transport, to drop downwardly along one side of thesupporting member into an out-of-the-way position so as not to affectthe fit under the armpit.

Thus I provide a hook 30 of square configuration dimensioned to fit overthe top edge of a closet door D or the like, the hook being connected bya short length of chain 31 to a point of connection 32 which is at aposition vertically alined with the hook receiver 20. Because of theflexible nature of the length of chain the hook may drop down on eitherside of the holder, and when in such out-of-the-way position, is notnormally felt by the user of the device; certainly it does not interferewith the holding or the carrying of the bag. When the bag is hung on thedoor the garment bag may be slipped off, as shown in FIG. 5, to make thegarments fully accessible.

While it is found that one size of holder is sufficient to accommodateusers of average build, plus a margin on either side thereof, the devicemay be provided in different lengths. Alternatively, provision may beincluded for adjusting the effective length of the holder; for example,a simple overlapping joint 40 (FIG. 6) may be interposed between upperand lower portions 11a, 11b of the body of the device held in adjustedposition by two or more laterally spaced screws 41 which may be fittedin a selected pair of a series of holes or occupy a selected position ina slot.

It will be apparent that the device amply meets the objects set forthabove. In addition, the holder is simple and economical to produce,inherently strong and long-wearing.

What I claim is:
 1. A garment bag holder for supporting and transportingin vertical position a garment bag having a hook at its upper endcomprising, in combination, a substantially flat structural supportmember dimensioned to extend vertically from the palm to the armpit ofthe user with the user's arm in substantially straight condition, thesupport member having an integral hand grip at its lower end in theplane of the member rounded to provide a comfortable fit in the closedpalm and having a width dimension of approximately palm width, the upperend of the supporting member presenting an upper edge formed to providea comfortable fit in the armpit, a hook receiver member at the upper endof the supporting member laterally centered therein and spaced slightlydownwardly from its upper edge for receiving the hook of the garment bagand facing inwardly so that the garment bag when suspended on thesupporting member is effectively clamped between the supporting memberand the body of the user with the resulting friction against the garmentbag tending to inhibit any tendency for the supporting member to toppleeither forwardly or rearwardly under the arm of the user.
 2. Thecombination as claimed in claim 1 in which the support member is formedof a sheet of thermoplastic material having its lower end curledupwardly to form the hand grip and the upper end curled downwardly toform a curved upper edge for reception under the armpit.
 3. Thecombination as claimed in claim 2 in which the hook receiver is in theform of a bridge extending between the upper curl and the body portionof the support member, the curl being of sufficient width to shield thehook of the garment bag.
 4. The combination as claimed in claim 1 inwhich the hand grip includes an upwardly facing groove of such lengthand width as to receive the handle of a briefcase or the like forsimultaneous carrying adjacent the outer surface of the garment bag. 5.The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which there is provided on thesupport member a hook of square configuration intended for slipping overthe upper edge of a closet door, the hook being connected to the upperend of the supporting member in a position vertically aligned with thehook receiver by a short length of flexible connector enabling the hook,during transport, to drop downwardly along one side of the supportingmember into an out-of-the-way position so as not to affect the fit underthe armpit.